You're using an outdated browser. Please upgrade to a modern browser for the best experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Functional Role of Biogenic Amines in Social Insects
Insects, such as wasps, ants, and bees, can live in highly structured societies characterized by a complex organization. The functioning of these societies is achieved through the coordination of several individuals who can be involved in various tasks and whose numbers are regulated to respond to the overall colony status or needs. The regulatory mechanisms of social behavior are not fully unraveled, but molecules such as brain biogenic amines likely play a pivotal role.
  • 641
  • 06 May 2023
Topic Review
Never-Ending Presence of Phytophthora Species in Italian Nurseries
Plant trade coupled with climate change has led to the increased spread of well-known and new Phytophthora species, a group of fungus-like organisms placed in the Kingdom Chromista. Their presence in plant nurseries is of particular concern because they are responsible for many plant diseases, with high environmental, economic and social impacts. This text offers a brief overview of the current status of Phytophthora species in European plant nurseries. Focus was placed on Italian sites. Despite the increasing awareness of the risk of Phytophthora spread and the management strategies applied for controlling it, the complexity of the Phytophthora community in the horticulture industry is increasing over time. Since the survey carried out by Jung et al., new Phytophthora taxa and Phytophthora-host associations were identified. Phytophthora hydropathica, P. crassamura, P. pseudocryptogea and P. meadii were reported for the first time in European plant nurseries, while P. pistaciae, P. mediterranea and P. heterospora were isolated from Italian ornamental nurseries. Knowledge of Phytophthora diversity in plant nurseries and the potential damage caused by them will help to contribute to the development of early detection methods and sustainable management strategies to control Phytophthora spread in the future.
  • 637
  • 10 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Mycotoxins of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides
Maize is frequently contaminated with multiple mycotoxins, especially those produced by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides. Mycotoxin contamination is a critical factor that destabilizes global food safety.
  • 636
  • 15 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Alternative Management of Fungal Diseases in Plants
Fungal pathogens pose a major threat to food production worldwide. Traditionally, chemical fungicides have been the primary means of controlling these pathogens, but many of these fungicides have recently come under increased scrutiny due to their negative effects on the health of humans, animals, and the environment. Furthermore, the use of chemical fungicides can result in the development of resistance in populations of phytopathogenic fungi. Therefore, new environmentally friendly alternatives that provide adequate levels of disease control are needed to replace chemical fungicides—if not completely, then at least partially. A number of alternatives to conventional chemical fungicides have been developed, including plant defence elicitors (PDEs); biological control agents (fungi, bacteria, and mycoviruses), either alone or as consortia; biochemical fungicides; natural products; RNA interference (RNAi) methods; and resistance breeding. 
  • 635
  • 16 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Lα,25-(OH)2D3 on Osteoclastogenesis
The active form of vitamin D, 1α,25-(OH)2D3, not only promotes intestinal calcium absorption, but also regulates the formation of osteoclasts (OCs) and their capacity for bone mineral dissolution. Gal-3 is a newly discovered bone metabolic regulator involved in the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of various cells.
  • 634
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Milk Production of Cows Fed with SP
Silage pulp (SP) is a byproduct from biorefinary of silage that can be used as forage source for ruminants. However, there is a lack of information regarding the complete replacement of dietary silage for SP on performance of dairy cows. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complete substitution of dietary grass-clover silage for SP on milk production of dairy cows. Grass-clover mixture was harvested, wilted, and ensiled in bunker silos. The silage was screw pressed in a biorefinery for solid (SP) and liquid (protein-rich juice) separation. Seventy-two lactating cows were used in a completely randomized block design, receiving either the original silage- or SP-based diets. The SP-based diet had lower concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrates and crude protein but greater fibre concentration compared to the silage-based diet. Milk yield and energy corrected milk were generally greater for cows receiving the silage-based diet compared to the SP-based diet. Cows receiving the silage-based diet had a greater yields of milk protein and milk fat, and tended to have a greater yield of milk lactose than cows receiving the SP-based diet. Milk composition, body condition score and body weight were not affected by diets. The complete substitution of silage for SP reduced the lactation performance of dairy cows over time.
  • 634
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Differential Climate Resilience in Arabidopsis thaliana Ecotypes
Improvement of crop climate resilience will require an understanding of whole-plant adaptation to specific local environments. Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes adapted to local environments with different climates in Sweden and Italy exhibited different responses when grown under common cool temperature. A proportionally greater emphasis on maintenance of photosynthetic activity in the Swedish ecotype contrasted with a greater emphasis on downregulation of light-harvesting and upregulation of antioxidant enzymes in the Italian ecotype under these conditions. The Swedish ecotype thus pushes forward at full speed with productivity under low temperature, whereas the Italian ecotype stays safe from harm while letting productivity decline when temperatures are transiently cold. Either strategy offer directions for the development of climate-resilient crops for specific locations of cultivation.
  • 632
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Risk Models for Listeria monocytogenes in Dairy Products
Cheese as a source of listeriosis tended to be studied in quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models under the full farm-to-table approach because of the many factors and forces of contamination that may occur along the chain, namely, on-farm environmental contamination sources such as silage, soil, water, and inadequate sanitation and housing conditions; extensive manipulation after milk heat treatment (if heat treated); the potential for recontamination after pasteurization and cross-contamination events during processing; the possible presence of contaminating niches in processing and retail facilities; L. monocytogenes’ ability to grow during refrigeration storage; long shelf-life in case of ripened cheeses; and wide consumption of cheese.
  • 629
  • 22 Dec 2023
Topic Review
White Adipose Tissue Heterogeneity in the Single-Cell Era
Adipose tissue is a major modulator of metabolic function by regulating energy storage and by acting as an endocrine organ through the secretion of adipokines. With the advantage of next-generation sequencing-based single-cell technologies, adipose tissue has been studied at single-cell resolution, thus providing unbiased insight into its molecular composition. Recent single-cell RNA sequencing studies in human and mouse models have dissected the transcriptional cellular heterogeneity of subcutaneous (SAT), visceral (VAT), and intramuscular (IMAT) white adipose tissue depots and revealed unique populations of adipose tissue progenitor cells, mature adipocytes, immune cell, vascular cells, and mesothelial cells that play direct roles on adipose tissue function and the development of metabolic disorders.
  • 628
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Exosomal RNAs
Exosomes are a subset of nano-sized extracellular vesicles originating from endosomes. Exosomes mediate cell-to-cell communication with their cargos, which includes mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs. Exosomal RNAs have cell specificity and reflect the conditions of their donor cells. Notably, their detection in biofluids can be used as a diagnostic marker for various diseases. Exosomal RNAs are ideal biomarkers because their surrounding membranes confer stability and they are detectable in almost all biofluids, which helps to reduce trauma and avoid invasive examinations. However, knowledge of exosomal biomarkers remains scarce.
  • 625
  • 04 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Selenium/Vitamins E/B9 in Bovine Mastitis during Periparturient Period
Mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) commonly occurs in dairy cattle during the periparturient period (transition period), in which dairy cattle experience physiological and hormonal changes and severe negative energy balance, followed by oxidative stress. The periparturient period in dairy cattle is critical and predisposes them to mastitis. Key factors leading to the susceptibility of dairy cattle to mastitis during the transition period are negative energy balance, followed by excessive lipid mobilization, oxidative stress, and consequent abnormal regulation of immunity and inflammation. Dairy cattle experience severe deficiency of some key nutrients (vitamin E, folic acid, and selenium) during the perinatal period, which predisposes them to mastitis. Vitamin (E and folic acid) and Se supplementation positively impact immunoregulation and relieve the oxidative and inflammatory status in dairy cattle during the periparturient phase. 
  • 623
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Companion Animal Model of Head and Neck Carcinoma
Laboratory rodents are the most common animal models used in preclinical cancer research. Companion animals with naturally occurring cancers are an under-utilized natural model for the development of new anti-cancer drugs. Dogs and cats develop several types of cancers that resemble those arising in humans with similar clinical and histopathological features and often with similar molecular and genetic backgrounds. Exposure to environmental carcinogens, including air, food and water are also common between people and their pets. Dogs and cats are a unique model that could be integrated between the preclinical laboratory animal model and human clinical trials.
  • 622
  • 13 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Aflatoxin Contamination and Soils Control
Aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic compounds, mainly produced by fungi species of the genus Aspergillus in the soil. Because of their stability, they are difficult to remove completely, even under extreme conditions. Aflatoxin contamination is one of the main causes of safety in peanuts, maize, wheat and other agricultural products. Aflatoxin contamination originates from the soil. 
  • 622
  • 03 Aug 2023
Topic Review
MiRNAs in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous disease where a specific immunologic and genetic/epigenetic background is responsible for disease manifestations and course.
  • 621
  • 16 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Video Processing for Physical Characteristics of Fishes
Acquiring the morphological parameters of fish with the traditional method (depending on human and non-automatic factors) not only causes serious problems, such as disease transmission, mortality due to stress, and carelessness and error, but it is also time-consuming and has low efficiency. 
  • 620
  • 21 Jun 2023
Topic Review
SlPG49 in Solanum lycopersicum
The modification and degradation of pectin in cell walls are necessary for the fruit softening process, which involves a series of pectin-modifying enzymes. Polygalacturonases (PGs) are a major group of pectin-hydrolyzing enzymes, which participate in fruit maturation, organ shedding, pollen development, and other processes by catalyzing the degradation of polygalacturonic acid. However, their function in plants has not yet been fully elucidated. In this paper, a full-length cDNA encoding SlPG49 was cloned from a tomato. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that SlPG49 contains four typical conserved domains and belongs to clade E in PG classification. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that SlPG49 was highly expressed in fruits during the softening stage, indicating that SlPG49 may be involved in fruit softening. Subcellular localization results revealed that SlPG49 was located in the cell membrane and the cell wall. In addition, an in vitro enzymatic activity assay confirmed that SlPG49 does have the ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of polygalacturonic acid. These results indicate that SlPG49 is a newly discovered PG gene involved in tomato fruit softening, and provide an experimental basis for elucidating the biological functions of plant PGs during fruit softening. 
  • 617
  • 08 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Shoulder Lesions' Influence on Sow Behavior
Some sows are known to develop shoulder lesions after giving birth, yet the pattern of development and healing as well as the welfare implications of these lesions is not well-understood. This study found that the size of the lesion when first noticed was related to the duration that the lesion was present and to the maximum size of the lesion before healing. This information has the potential to help guide the treatment of these animals and reduce the severity of their lesions. We monitored these sows throughout lactation and during gestation and found that the only significant behavioral difference between the sows that did and did not have lesions was that the sows without lesions were more likely to change their posture more frequently. We believe this means that more frequent posture changes may have a protective effect against lesion development. Together, the results of this study have added to our understanding of how long it takes these lesions to heal and reveal insight into the lack of behavioral alterations in sows with such lesions. 
  • 617
  • 20 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Genomic Safe Harbors in Dry-Preservable Cultured Cells
Genomic safe harbors (GSHs) provide ideal integration sites for generating transgenic organisms and cells and can be of great benefit in advancing the basic and applied biology of a particular species.
  • 617
  • 04 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Developmental and Physiological Regulation by Epitranscriptomic Modifications
Epitranscriptomic modifications play important roles during plant development and in various responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The major developmental processes affected by these modifications include organogenesis, embryonic and cotyledon development, seed development and seed yield, root and shoot growth, leaf morphology, trichome branching, floral transition, the proliferation of shoot apical meristem, and fruit ripening.
  • 617
  • 10 May 2022
Topic Review
Microtubular TRIM36 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase
TRIM36 is a microtubule-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase that plays a role in cytoskeletal organization, and according to data gathered in different species, coordinates growth speed and stability, acting on the microtubules’ plus end, and impacting on cell cycle progression.
  • 615
  • 08 Feb 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 70
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Academic Video Service
Feedback